I Believe In A Thing Called Love
by Victoria-BlackHeart
Summary: Modern day. Altaïr, Malik, Ezio, Desmond and Connor all want to be loved, whether it be romantic or familial. Throw in homework, popular kids, tests, college applications and what do you get? Two horrible words: High School.
1. Bad News

The alarm went off, the sound blaring in his ear. Desmond groaned, and reached over, shutting it off, then rolled over and shut his eyes, "Desmond you gotta get up!" he heard his dad yell from down the hall, and groaned again.

"Dad it's too early!" Desmond yelled, but it was muffled by the pillow. He heard footsteps, and his dad stood in the doorway.

"Well that's what you get for staying up too late last night. You get to be tired on the first day of school," Desmond groaned even louder, rolling over.

"Why did you have to remind me?"

"Come on get up!" His dad flicked the lights on, causing Desmond to cover his head with the blankets, "Oh come on it's not that bad! Get up please Desmond. You're gonna end being late and you'll make me late," His dad, William Miles, was the one of the main partners of a criminal law office. Desmond sat up, and yawned.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Ezio! Time to get up!"

Ezio opened one eye, and groaned, "It can't be Monday already," he mumbled, and looked over at his calender. Yup, it was. Sighing, he sat up and stretched. He heard footsteps running down the hall, and his door flung open. His younger brother, Petruccio, ran over and jumped on his bed.

"First day of school! First day of school!" he yelled, jumping up and down. Petruccio was going to Grade 1 and he was very excited about it. Ezio chuckled.

"You won't be so excited when you get my age, I promise you that," Ezio said, and swung his feet over the side of his bed. He saw his sister walk back his room, and go into the bathroom. Ezio got up and walked over to the door, "Claudia you better not take an hour in there!" he yelled.

"Leave me alone Ezio!" she yelled back. Ezio groaned, and walked down the stairs.

His mother was standing by the stove, making pancakes, eggs and bacon. His father was sitting at the table, drinking his morning coffee and reading the paper. He looked up, and smiled, "Ah there's the man of the hour!" he said, placing the paper down. Petruccio had syrup smeared on his face, "How do you feel this fine morning?" Ezio slumped down in his chair as his mother placed a plate of food down in front of him, "Tired I'm assuming from the fact that you're not answering me," he said. His mother walked over and he kissed her on the cheek.

"Claudia get down here your breakfast is getting cold," their mother, Maria, called. Claudia came down the stairs, and sat down at the table.

"I didn't even finish drying my hair yet," she complained. Their father, Giovanni, was a very successful banker and he was well known all over town.

"You look very pretty," he said, smiling at her. Ezio rolled his eyes, and finished his breakfast, then went upstairs to take a shower.

* * *

"Malik! Malik I'm hungry!"

Malik rolled over, and saw his brother standing in the door, "Can't you just eat cereal?' he grumbled. Kadar shook his head.

"I want toast but I can't reach."

"Well I want sleep," Malik said, rolling back over. Kadar walked over and jumped on the bed.

"Please Malik? I don't want to wake mom and dad," Malik sighed, and got up.

"Fine," Their parents were paramedics and they had worked the night shift last night, so it was up to Malik to make sure Kadar was ready for the bus. Malik went into the kitchen and popped two pieces of toast in the toaster, then poured himself a bowl of cereal. The toaster went off and Malik got up, taking it out and putting peanut butter on the toast. He placed the plate down in front of Kadar and sat down, eating his cereal.

"Malik do you have to graduate this year?" Kadar asked, and Malik chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Yes I do," Malik answered.

"But I don't want you to leave."

"I'm not leaving for good, and the school year just started. Don't worry about it," he said, and his cellphone went off. Malik picked it up, and saw it was from Altaïr, "Come on let's get you ready for the bus! Altaïr's gonna be here soon," Malik got up and Kadar followed him into his room.

Malik helped him get ready, pack his backpack, make his lunch, then the two of them made their way over to the bus stop. Malik yawned, and shoved his hands in his jean pocktes, waiting for the bus. Soon enough, the bus showed up, and Kadar got on, waving to Malik, "See you after school!" Malik smiled, and waved back. Moments later, a white Honda Civic showed up, and Malik got in the passenger seat.

"What's up Malik?" Altaïr said, as he put the car in drive and headed to pick up Ezio.

"Not much. Had to make sure Kadar didn't miss the bus," he said, yawning, "Our last year of high school. I can't believe it's finally here," he said, as they pulled into the cul-de-sac where Ezio lived. It was one of the biggest houses in the cul-de-sac, but they did have a big family. Altaïr pulled up and leaned on the horn.

"Ezio always takes forever," Altaïr complained, picking up his phone and sending Ezio a quick text. Moments later, he appeared, yawning and fixing his hair, "Seriously Ezio?" he said, as he climbed in the back.

"Shut up Altaïr," Ezio grumbled, "Claudia took forever in the bathroom this morning."

"One of the reasons why I'm glad I don't have a sister," Malik said, as they drove down the road, heading to get Desmond, "Hey did you forget Connor?"

"No he texted me this morning and said he didn't need a ride," Altaïr answered, "I think his mom is going to give him a ride," They pulled up in front of a bungalow, and Altaïr leaned on the horn. Desmond walked out of his house, wearing his favorite white hoodie. He got in the back.

"Morning sunshine," Ezio said, punching Desmond in the shoulder, "You look tired. Did you have a certain girl over last night?" he asked, smirking.

"What? No! I was up skyping my mom," he answered.

"Yeah that's code for kissing Lucy," Malik teased.

"Shut up," Desmond mumbled, "I didn't even see her over the summer. We did text though."

"Come on Des. You've been secretly swooning over her for I don't even know how many years," Altaïr said, as he pulled up to the school parking lot, "Speaking of Lucy," he said, pointing to a blue Prius.

"Oh man," Desmond groaned, "I look like shit this morning."

"No you don't. You look like shit everyone morning," Ezio said, smiling. Desmond punched him in the arm, and they got out of the car. Lucy was standing by Rebecca's car with Rebecca, Leonardo and Shaun. Desmond shoved his hands in his pockets, as the group walked over to the join their other friends, "Hey guys!" Ezio called, and they all turned, smiling.

"Welcome back to school!" Rebecca said, smiling. Shaun had his nose in book, completely ignoring everyone. Ezio hugged her, "How was your summer?"

"Uh, alright. Spent most of it in the country at my uncle Mario's place. You?" he asked.

"I worked. It was pretty boring. Shaun just read books all summer," she said, punching Shaun in the shoulder. Shaun looked up.

"It was a very productive summer," he said, placing his book in his backpack, "I prefer not to travel and just stay out in the sun, reading."

"Shaun all you do is read," Altaïr said, as they all walked towards the school, "One thing I didn't miss was them," he said, motioning to a group of people sitting on the steps.

"Uh, I can't stand Cesare," Ezio said, "And his sister isn't any better."

"Robert is a pain too," Malik said, as they walked to their classes, "See you guys at lunch?" he asked, and they nodded, going their separate ways. Ezio and Desmond had their first class together, so they continued walking together.

"Hey where's Connor? Isn't he in this class?" Desmond asked, looking around the room for their friend.

"I don't know. It's weird for him not to be here," Ezio said, pulling out his books. Their math teacher, Achilles Davenport, was one of Connor's favorite teachers, and he was Achilles' favorite student.

"Good morning class," Achilles said, entering the class room, "And welcome to advance math. I trust you all had a good summer. Hopefully not too much math involved, like mine," he said, placing his books down on the desk as the class chuckled. Desmond pulled out his cellphone, and texted Connor.

**Hey where are you? You're missing math.**

Desmond looked up as Achilles passed out the course outline, and began explaining it, "Now, many of you chose this course because you wanted to be challenged, but I can assure you that a little less than half will transfer out before our first test. It's not that it is a difficult course, but tha..."

Desmond looked down at his phone, and saw Connor had answered him. He opened the message, and his eyes went wide, "Mr. Miles, what have I said about phones in my class?" Desmond looked up and saw Achilles standing by his desk.

"I-uh-was just..." he began, but Achilles cut him off.

"You know the rules ," he said, and held out his hand, "You'll get your phone back after class," Desmond placed it in his hand, and Achilles walked over to his desk, placing it on the desk, then continued talking.

Ezio leaned forward and poked him, "You never have your phone out. What's up?" he whispered, looking up at their teacher.

"I'll tell you after class," he whispered back, and began taking notes.

* * *

The bell rang, and Desmond walked up to Achilles' desk. The math teacher looked up at him, and handed him back his phone, "Don't let this happen again," he said, looking at him over the top of his glasses. Desmond nodded, and followed Ezio out of class, heading to their next class.

"Des what's on the go?" Ezio asked again. Desmond looked at his phone.

"Connor's mom died last night," Desmond said, and Ezio's jaw dropped.

"No," he said, "Poor Connor. She seemed to be doing so well at the end of last year," Desmond nodded, "We gotta find the others and tell them. Where is he?" Ezio asked, and Desmond checked his phone.

"He's at his place still, packing," Desmond said, as he texted Connor back, "We gotta go see him."

"How about during lunch?" Ezio suggested, and Desmond nodded.

"Sounds good. You tell Malik and I'll tell Altaïr. We'll meet at his car when the bell rings," Ezio nodded, and headed off to English. Desmond sighed, and shoved his hands in his pockets, heading to biology.

The only good thing about biology was that Lucy was there.


	2. Changes

The bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. Desmond looked around, and checked his phone. The others were late, as usual. He and Connor were the only ones ever one time for anything. Sighing, he shoved his hands in his jean pockets, kicking a rock around.

"Hey Des!"

Desmond looked up, and saw Lucy walking towards him, smiling, "Hey Luce," he said.

"What are you doing out here? I thought we were all going to have lunch together," Lucy asked, and Desmond ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah about that. Um, we're actually going to see Connor," Desmond said.

"I noticed he wasn't in class this morning. Is everything ok?" she asked, concerned for their friend.

"His mom died last night," Desmond said, and Lucy's eyes went wide. Tears appeared in her eyes, and Desmond reached out, hugging her.

"But she was doing so well!" Lucy said, wiping her eyes, "What happened?"

"We'll find out when we get there," Desmond said, and saw Altaïr, Ezio and Malik walking towards them, "Anyways, we gotta go but save me a seat in our lab ok?" he asked, smiling. Lucy nodded, and wiped her eyes again. She went back towards the school, passing by Ezio.

"Don't tell me. You asked her out. That is why she is crying," Ezio teased. Desmond rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Ezio," he said, as they got in Altaïr's car. Altaïr turned the key but not before he heard someone yell his name.

"Hey Alty you finally dropping out?"

Altaïr slammed on the brakes, "Altaïr don't," Malik said, as they saw Robert de Sable coming towards the car.

"Great," Ezio said, "Just great."

Robert leaned against the hood of the car, "You never answered my question," he said, looking at Altaïr, "You dropping out?"

"No de Sable, I am not," Altaïr said through his teeth, "Why don't you crawl back to your hole and beg mummy and daddy for more money to keep you from failing," Robert's eyes narrowed, and he stepped back. Ezio rolled down the window.

"You might want to get some ice for that burn," he said, smirking, as they drove off, leaving Robert in the dust.

* * *

After ten minutes of driving, they arrived at Connor's apartment building, "Whoa nice ride," Desmond said, as he stepped out of the car, looking at the brand black new Porsche.

"I tried to get my dad to buy me one. It didn't work," Ezio said, "But it's a very nice car," They walked over to the door, and entered the building. The four friends got in the elevator, and Desmond hit the four. The lame elevator music began to play as they stood in silence. Malik sighed, and looked at his phone, checking the time.

The elevator stopped, and they got out, walking down the hall towards Connor's apartment. Once they arrived, Desmond knocked on the door. The door swung open, and a middle aged man answered, throwing the others off guard a bit. He had dark hair that was starting to show his age and grey green eyes. He was wearing a dress shirt with dark jeans, "Can I help you?" he asked, and it was Altaïr who spoke first.

"Is...Connor there?" he asked, and the man nodded. He turned around.

"Connor there's someone here for you," he said, and they saw their friend. The man disappeared back inside the apartment.

"Hey Connor," Desmond said, patting his friend on the shoulder, "How are you doing?" Connor shrugged, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"I'm ok," he said.

"Uh, who was that?" Ezio asked, the question that was on all their minds. Connor looked down at his feet, kicking the carpet, "Connor?"

"That's...that's my dad."

Everyone's jaw dropped, and they were speechless. They knew Connor's dad had left when he was only a baby, and the only contact they had was the odd birthday card he sent with a check. Connor looked up at them, and saw all the looks on their faces, "Yeah I was just as surprised as you guys," he said, "He just showed up at the hospital yesterday. I was in the room with my mom, when the door opened and the nurse led him in. I had no idea who he was, but my mom..she recognized him right away. Apparently she had written him a letter over the summer, when she was getting worse. I left the room to get a soda because they wanted to talk. When I came back, my mom told me that I was going to be moving in with him, then..." He trailed off, and they saw tears in his eyes. Altaïr placed his hand on his other shoulder.

"Wait, you're moving?" Ezio asked, and Connor nodded, "Man you can't leave! This was supposed to be an awesome school year!"

"Ezio I'm not moving out of the city. Just...to a new house. Apparently my dad also lives in the city. Who knew?" Connor said.

"Uh, Connor? Are you done packing your room?" they all heard his dad call out to him.

"Almost done Haytham," he said, and looked at his friends, "Sorry guys. I got to go, but...the funeral is tomorrow and I'd appreciate it if you guys and the others came."

"Of course we'll be there," Malik said, and checked his phone, "Speaking of being somewhere, we are late and Al Mualim will kill us if we miss this lesson Altaïr," Malik said, and Altaïr rolled his eyes.

"Alright. We'll see you tomorrow," Altaïr said, and they all headed back to the elevator.

* * *

Malik and Altaïr ran down the halls, and stopped by the classroom door. They could hear Al Mualim talking, "Shit," Malik muttered, and opened the door. They entered the classroom and Al Mualim stopped talking.

"Ah, Mr. Al-Sayf and Mr. Ibn-La'ahad. So nice of you to join us," he said, crossing his arms, "See me after class," he said, and turned back to the white board. Altaïr and Malik sat down in the seats and began taking notes.

Meanwhile, Desmond and Ezio had another math class with Achilles, who basically said the same thing as Al Mualim about seeing him after class, but he had a feeling that had a good reason for being late.

Once math class was over, they walked up to Achilles' desk. The math teacher intertwined his fingers and looked at them, "First texting in my class, now being late for my class. Is this how this year is going to go boys?" he asked.

"You see , we were visiting Connor," Desmond began, and Ezio nodded, "Um, his mom died last night."

"I'm terribly sorry," Achilles said, taking off his glasses, "This must be extremely tough for him. Um, where is he staying?" he asked. Ezio and Desmond exchanged a glance.

"With his dad," Achilles raised an eyebrow.

"I was unaware that his father was in the picture."

"As of yesterday, he is," Ezio said, and Achilles nodded slowly.

"When is the funeral?" he asked.

"Tomorrow. I'm sure Connor would really appreciate it if you were there," Desmond said.

"Of course. I'll see you boys tomorrow," he said, and Desmond and Ezio left the classroom. Altaïr and Malik were outside, waiting.

"What took you so long?" Altaïr asked, uncrossing his arms.

"Probably the same reason why you're here waiting for us and not out at your car," Ezio answered, as the four of them made their way to Altaïr's car. Altaïr unlocked the door, and they all climbed in. Altaïr breathed out.

"What a day," he said, and started the car. Desmond checked his phone and saw a text from Lucy.

**Hey wanna grab coffee?**

He quickly texted back.

**Sure. Same place?**

"Who you texting?" Ezio asked, leaning over and Desmond moved his phone away.

"Ezio why are you so noisy?" he asked, and Ezio grabbed the phone, "Hey give that back!"

"Oooo you gotta date with Lucy!"

"It's not a date," Desmond mumbled, grabbing his phone back.

**Sure. See you in half hour :)**

"Hey Altaïr mind dropping me off first?" Desmond asked.

"Not a problem," Altaïr said, and turned down Desmond's street. He stopped at the bungalow, and Desmond got out.

"See you guys tomorrow," he said, and shut the door. Altaïr backed out of the driveway.

He dropped Ezio off next, leaving him and Malik the only ones in the car, "I best we better get a head start on that paper for history," Malik said, and Altaïr nodded.

"Al Mualim always gives the most assignments," he complained, and pulled up to Malik's house, "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. Hey we should go to the library sometime and take out books for our paper," Altaïr suggested, and Malik nodded.

"Sure! Just let me know when," he said, smiling and shut the door. He watched Altaïr drive off and sigh. Sometimes he wished Altaïr asked him to hang out for more than just school work. Malik pulled out his phone, and sent a text to Leonardo. Whenever Malik needed advice, he would always go to Leonardo. The young artist (or hipster as Ezio called him) always knew what to say.

* * *

Desmond paid for their drinks, a coffee and a chai tea latte, and walked back over to their table, "Here," he said, placing the cup down in front of her. Lucy smiled, and took a sip.

"Thanks for paying for my drink. You really didn't need to do that," she said.

"It's nothing," Desmond said, "Listen, the funeral is tomorrow and Connor would like it if we all went. You know, as moral support," Lucy nodded.

"Of course. I'll mention it to Shaun and Rebecca," she said, "So, where is Connor going to live?" she asked, and Desmond fiddled with his coffee mug, "Desmond?"

"His dad," he answered, and Lucy looked surprise.

"I thought his dad left," she said, taking a sip from her drink.

"We all did, but...according to Connor, they were in contact over the summer. I guess it was when she started to get really sick," They all knew Connor's mom had cancer, and was battling for a couple of years, but the last year she seemed to be getting better. Whenever they saw her she was smiling and very warm and welcoming to all of them, "I remember Connor telling us at the end of last year that she had saved up enough money for them to go on vacation for the summer."

"They did go," Desmond said, "He sent me pictures. They went to California. He said it was the best trip of his life," Lucy smiled, and reached out to touch his hand.

"At least he'll have good memories," she said, squeezing it. Desmond smiled.

* * *

"Have you thought about just telling him?" Leonardo asked, turning around, holding the paintbrush and easel in his hand. Malik looked up from his book.

"I have but...there's the issue of Maria," he said, and Leonardo chuckled.

"He hasn't told you?" Leonardo asked, turning back to his painting. Malik got up and walked over to him, looking over his shoulder.

"Told me what?" Malik asked, and Leonardo flicked the paintbrush across the canvas, "Come on Leo, don't say things like that and then not say anything," Leonardo placed his painting supplies down, and wiped his hands on a cloth.

"They broke up over the summer."

"But they were going out for almost four years! What happened?" Malik asked. Leonardo sat down at his desk.

"Well, from Altaïr has told me, he didn't feel anything for her, and besides her family moved back to Europe over the summer. Something about a better opportunity there for her. She wanted Altaïr to move over with her, but when he said he didn't feel the same for her, she completely freaked out at him and asked him why. He simply shrugged, and said that the feelings went away. Well, anyways, she broke up him, packed up her things and left. Altaïr's taking it pretty well, considering he's pretty much over it," Malik nodded, "So now will you tell him?" Leonardo asked.

"I'll think about it," Malik answered, looking at his painting.


	3. Not The Ideal Situation

Connor stared at the ceiling, counting the tiles. Today was the day. The day he moved from the home he grew up in to a strange new home with his dad. He sighed, and sat up, hearing someone moving around the kitchen. He got up, and opened the door slightly. He saw his dad packing up the remaining dishes. Connor shut the door, and stared at his room. He had to finish packing as well. He sighed, and turned on his light and began packing up the rest of his things.

There was a light knock on his door, "Connor are you awake?" It was Haytham.

"Yes I am," Connor answered, "Just packing the rest of my things," Haytham opened the door slightly.

"I made breakfast if you're hungry," he said. Connor was a bit surprised, but he was hungry. He finished packing up the box, and went out into the living room. He sat down at the table, and saw Haytham had made burnt toast, but it was still something. He reached out and took a slice, spreading peanut butter on it. He took a bite while Haytham stirred sugar in his coffee.

The two sat in silence, the only sound being the clock. Haytham's cell phone went off, and he pulled it out, hitting talk, "Hello?" he said, "Ah good. They finally came in. No, I won't be able to come in and look at them. First thing tomorrow I promise. Alright, I'll see you then," he said, and hung up, placing the phone in his pocket, "Well, we should get a move on," he said, looking at Connor. Connor nodded, and finished his toast.

* * *

Connor looked around the church, and saw his friends come in. They all walked over to him, "Hey Connor how are you feeling?" Altaïr asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright," he answered and he saw Achilles, "Hey is here."

"Yeah we,uh, may have mentioned it to him," Ezio said sheepishly, and Connor punched him in the shoulder. He walked over to Achilles, who turned and smiled.

"Connor," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good," he answered, "It was nice of you to come."

"Well you are my best, and might I add favorite, student," Achilles said, smiling. He saw a man coming towards them.

"Connor we should take our seats," the man said, and looked at Achilles, "And...you are?"

"Oh how rude. Achilles Davenport, Connor's math teacher," he said, holding out his hand.

"Haytham Kenway, Connor's father," he said, looking down at the hand. Achilles pulled it back.

"Ah yes," he said, and nodded at them, heading to his seat. Connor followed Haytham and they all sat down. His friends sat down behind him. The minister got up and began speaking.

"Haytham seems kinda...you know...cold," Ezio whispered to Desmond, "He wouldn't even shake 's hand," Desmond nodded, listening to the minister, "I feel bad for Connor," Malik looked over at him and nodded. Altaïr was the only one who was actually paying attention.

Once the funeral was over, everyone made their way to the cemetery in silence. Connor looked at his dad, and wondered how his mother ever was in love with him. Haytham seemed very cold and distant, and he lacked emotion. Connor couldn't tell if he was sad or in pain.

Once they had placed the casket in the ground, Connor walked over and placed flowers down on it, tied with the knitted scarf she had made him, "I love you mom," he whispered, and stepped back. Altaïr, Ezio, Malik and Desmond walked over, standing next to him in silence. Haytham was standing a few feet away, talking on his phone. He hung up, and walked over to them.

"You ready Connor?" he asked, and Connor turned around.

"Yeah," he whispered, and began follow Haytham, "I'll see you guys in school tomorrow," he said, and followed Haytham to his car.

They climbed in, Connor's stuff piled in the backseat and drove away from the cemetery. They drove in silence, the volume low in the radio. Connor looked out the window, watching the scenery go by. Haytham glanced at him, but said nothing, his eyes focused on the road.

After ten minutes of driving, they came to a subdivision, and Haytham signaled to turn. He turned down the street, and drove to the end, pulling up in the driveway of a large, brick house. Connor looked up at the house.

_He lives here by himself?_ he thought, as he got out of the car, taking a box with him. Haytham walked over to the door, and unlocked it. He opened the door, and Connor stepped into a large open space with a staircase to the left, "You can pick whichever room you like," Haytham said, glancing over his shoulder. Connor walked up the stairs, and looked around. He saw a room at the front of the house with a large window, and pushed open the door. It had a double bed with a wooden dresser, a medium sized closet and a desk in the corner. Connor placed his box down, and walked over to the window. He saw Haytham outside taking out some more boxes.

Connor went down the stairs, almost running into Haytham, "I picked the one at the front, with the large window," Connor said, and Haytham frowned.

"Are you sure? That room needs to be renovated," he said.

"It's fine for me," Connor assured, and Haytham nodded.

"Ok."

The rest of Connor's evening was spent unpacking his things. Haytham had shut himself in his office, the door closed. Connor pulled out a picture of him and his mom from the trip over the summer, and placed it on the nightstand next to his bed. He heard a knock on the door, and looked out the window. There was an older gentleman standing at the door, holding a dish. Connor went down the stairs, and opened the door.

"Yes?" he asked, and the man was a bit surprised to see Connor.

"Is...Haytham here?" he asked, looking around.

"Yeah but he's in his office and doesn't want to be disturbed," Connor answered, "I'm Connor, by the way," he said.

"Ah. You must be his son," the man said, smiling. Connor nodded, "I'm Haytham's neighbor, George. My wife made a lasagna for you and your dad. She figured he would be too busy with...everything that has happened."

"Would you like to come in?" Connor asked, and George was taken back by this offer, but smiled warmly at the boy.

"Of course," he said, and Connor stepped aside, letting him into the house. George walked to the kitchen and placed the lasagna on the counter. Connor followed him, and began searching for glasses, "Haytham never mentioned you before," George said, as Connor found the glasses and poured some water. He handed one to the older man, "Thank you," he said, and took a sip.

"Yeah. I never really met him until a few days ago," Connor said, running his finger along the edge of the glass, "My mom never really mentioned him either," George nodded.

"I believe I met your mother once," George said, looking around the kitchen, "It seemed like forever ago. They lived here together. It was so nice. I would go out to get the paper and she would be tending to the garden out back. She had such a beautiful smile," Connor smiled at this thought, "I'm rambling again," he said, getting up, "My wife is waiting for me. It was nice meeting you Connor."

"It was nice meeting you," Connor said, and walked George over to the door. The old man turned around.

"You're welcome to come over anytime you'd like. I'll make sure there's fresh baked cookies too," he said, smiling.

"I'd like that," Connor said, and George smiled one last time before he left. Connor shut the door, and sighed.

Maybe living here wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

Connor woke up to his alarm, and stretched. He sat up, listening for Haytham but there was no sound. He frowned, and got up. He went down the stairs and looked around. Haytham was nowhere to be seen. Connor saw a note on the counter, and picked it up.

_Connor,  
I had to go in to work early today. Something came up. I will most likely be working late so don't wait up for me.  
Dad_

Connor sighed, and crumpled up the note, tossing it in the trash. He found a bowl and some cereal, and ate alone at the island in the kitchen. His phone went off, and he saw a text from Altaïr, asking for his new address. Connor texted it back, finished his cereal and went upstairs to get ready.

Altaïr pulled into the cul-de-sac, "He lives here now?" Ezio asked, looking at the houses, "Wow."

"Ezio you live in a big house too so it shouldn't surprise you," Desmond said, not looking up from his book. He had forgotten to do the readings for class.

"Yeah but if his dad lived there by himself that's kinda weird," Ezio said, as Altaïr pulled up to the house, "Whoa. Nice," Connor came out of the door, and locked it, walking over to the car, "Hey buddy. How are you this morning?" Ezio asked as Connor climbed in the backseat with him and Desmond.

"Alright," he said, shutting the door.

"How's Haytham?" Altaïr asked, looking at him by the rear view mirror.

"Well he was at work when I woke up and probably won't be home until after I go to bed," Connor answered, and Altaïr nodded, "I mean it's not the ideal situation, but it's ok. The neighbor is nice anyways," He looked over at Desmond, "So what's this I hear about you and Lucy being lab partners this year?" Desmond looked up.

"It just happened," he mumbled.

"Yeah right," Malik said, turning around to look at them, "According to Leonardo he sat next to her to make sure they were lab partners."

"I did not!" Desmond protested, "That was the..."

"Only seat left in class," the four friends chimed in, and began laughing.

"That's your excuse for anything Des," Connor said, looking over at his friend. Ezio smiled at Connor.

"It's good to have you back Connor," he said, and everyone nodded, "Besides, how is going to help me with my math problems? Certainly not Desmond because he's all wrapped up in Lucyland," Desmond rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes I don't even know why I talk to you guys," Desmond said, as they pulled up to the school parking lot. They all climbed out, "Anyways, see you at lunch?" They all nodded, and went their separate ways to their classes.


	4. Suspension

The lunch bell rang, and all the students headed to the cafeteria, where God only knows what sort of stuff they were serving.

Connor, Altaïr, Malik, Ezio, and Desmond all met up at their usual table, along with Rebecca, Shaun, Lucy and Leonardo. They all sat down, pulling out their lunches. They had made the mistake last year of buying their food, and all ended up sick for a week straight. It had been a horrible week for everyone.

Connor opened his lunch, and pulled out his sandwich, "Hey you guys wanna go to a movie the weekend?" Rebecca asked, "The new Underworld movie is playing."

"Sweet! I've been wanting to see that one for a while," Desmond said, taking a bite of his sandwich, "What time does the movie start? We should grab a bite before the movie."

"It plays at 6 and 8:30 on Friday, so if we wanted to go to the later one that would work," Rebecca said, checking the listings on her phone.

"I wish I could," Ezio said, sighing, "My dad is having one of his work parties Friday, and we all have to be there," he said, stabbing his fork in his rice, "And we have to dress nice. I hate it," He looked up, "But...not as much as I hate who's walking over here now," he said, and everyone looked up. Sure enough, Cesare and his gang was making their way over to their table.

"What do they want now?" Shaun asked, obviously annoyed, "We just want to eat our lunch in peace," His newest book was sitting on the table, opened at his page.

"Hey what's this?" Cesare asked, picking up the book.

"Give it back Cesare," Connor said.

"I'd rather not. It looks too good," he said, and tossed it to his best friend, Robert. Robert looked at it, then handed it to Charles Lee. If there was one person who Connor could say he absolutely hated, it was Charles. He was an arrogant prick who always tried to get his way and make Connor's life miserable. Charles looked at the book.

"It looks boring," he said, and threw it in the garbage.

"I just bought that!" Shaun exclaimed. Connor got up and grabbed Charles by his shirt, pinning him against the wall.

"Give him his book back," he said.

"Make me," Charles snapped, and Connor grabbed Lucy's water and dumped it over his head, then let him go. Charles glared at him.

"Go home and cry to your mom Lee," Malik said, as Connor made his way back to their table.

"At least I _have _a mom to go home and cry to," he sneered, and Connor froze. He turned around slowly, "Isn't that right Connor?" Connor walked over to him, but Altaïr grabbed his shoulder.

"He's not worth it," he said low, but Connor pulled away, "Connor don't do this!"

Connor ignored him and grabbed Lee by the front of his shirt, "Ooo you gonna slam me into the wall again? I'm so afraid," Charles sneered again, and Connor threw him into the garbage can, knocking it over. The people sitting by it got up, shocked. Connor got down on the ground, and began punching Charles in the face.

"Connor stop!" Lucy yelled, "Stop it!" Malik and Altaïr rushed over, and pulled Connor off Charles, leaving him cowering on the floor, his nose bleeding.

"What is going on in here?!"

They turned around and saw Mr. Volpe, or as he liked to be called, La Volpe, standing in the doorway. He saw Connor and Charles, "You two. Principal's office now," he said, and Charles got up, wiping his nose. Connor glared at him as they made their way over to La Volpe, and followed him to the principal's office. Cesare glared at the rest.

"Come on. We're leaving," he said, and they walked away. Shaun walked over to the garbage can, and groaned.

"My mother is going to kill me," he grumbled.

* * *

"Fighting is unacceptable," The principal, Mr. Revere, said, looking at the two young men sitting on the other side of his desk, "Connor, you are not one to fight. What is going on?"

"He said stuff about my mom," Connor mumbled, crossing his arms. Charles glared at him over the tissue he was holding against his bloodied face. Mr. Revere sighed.

"Boys, you know the policy. Whatever he said does not mean you beat him up, and you do not have the right to go around saying whatever you said," he said, "You're both suspended for the rest of the week.

"What?!" they both exclaimed.

"Mr. Revere it's the first week of classes! We'll be behind!" Connor exclaimed.

"After what happened last year the school board put in a new policy. I'm sorry. I'll see you both next Monday. Until then, enjoy the rest of your week," The two got up, and turned to leave, "I will also be calling your parents and letting them know," Connor froze. He didn't know how Haytham would react to that, "You're dismissed," Connor and Charles left the office in silence, and went their separate ways to their lockers.

Connor opened his locker and sighed, "Hey what happened?" he looked over and saw Altaïr and Malik, "You look down."

"Revere suspended me for the rest of the week," Connor answered, taking out his books then slamming the door shut.

"But it's the first week of classes!" Malik exclaimed, "That's not fair at all! And considering what you've gone through..."

"According to him, that's not a good enough reason to punch Lee in the face," Connor interrupted him.

"He had it coming," Altaïr said, as the three walked down the hall, "Did you want a ride home Connor?" Altaïr asked. Connor shook his head.

"No. I gotta work today anyways, so I'll just head over there," he answered, and Altaïr nodded. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll talk later tonight. I hope everything goes okay with Haytham," he said, and Connor sighed.

"Me too," he said, and walked towards the main entrance. Altaïr and Malik walked up the stairs, heading to their next class.

"Poor kid. He can't catch a break," Malik said, and Altaïr nodded, "First his mom, now this. And I have a feeling that Haytham probably has a short fuse," Malik looked over at Altaïr, "Are you okay? You're really quiet which is not normal for you," Altaïr chuckled.

"Uh yeah," he answered, "It's nothing really. Nothing important I mean," he said, and Malik raised his eyebrows.

"Come on, you can tell me."

"It's stupid."

"Altaïr, we've been best friends for as long as I can remember. Nothing you have on your mind is stupid," Malik said.

"It's Maria," Altaïr said, "She wants to Skype tonight," Malik felt his heart stop.

"Oh?" was all he could manage.

"I don't know. I mean, we broke up and she was pretty pissed off when I ended it, so why does she want to talk to me?"

"I couldn't tell you. Understanding what girls do is too much work," Malik said, "Even having a normal conversation with them is hard," Altaïr chuckled again.

"Yeah you're right. It would take a genius to figure them out," he said, "Why can't girls be as simple as guys? We just punch each other in the shoulder and we're good," he said.

"Just talk to her. See what she wants," Malik said, "I mean, what's the worse that could happen?" he asked, but he knew the answer deep down. He didn't want to tell him not to talk to her, because Altaïr might get suspicious.

"True enough," Altaïr answered, "Anyways, I got class I'll talk to you later," he said, and opened the door, heading in the room. Malik walked down the hall a bit, and sighed, then went into his class.

* * *

Connor walked into the small convenience store, and saw his coworker, Cristina, behind the counter. She looked up, and smiled, "Hey Connor! Long time no see," she said, as he walked behind the counter and placed his backpack down, "Don't you have school?" she asked, looking up at the clock.

"Long story short, I got suspended for a couple of days," he explained, putting on his name tag. Cristina raised her eyebrows, and popped her gum.

"You get in a fight?" she asked, and he nodded, "Ah, I see. I won't ask anymore about it," That was one thing Connor liked about her. She didn't ask a lot of questions, but he did enjoy talking with her, "So, how is living with dad?" she asked. When he had called to get his schedule, he had explained everything to her because he had missed a couple days of work.

"You mean Haytham?" he asked, as he grabbed a box of candy and began unpacking it.

"That says it all," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "So, how is living with Haytham?" she asked again. Connor shrugged.

"Alright, but I have a feeling he won't be around much. He seems like one of those workaholic type guys," he answered, stocking the shelves.

"That's not good," she said, and the door rang as a customer entered the store. He walked over and paid for his gas, then left, "Have you tried talking to him?" she asked, and Connor shook his head.

"Nah," he answered, and the door rang again. Connor turned around and saw Haytham. His back was to him as he was talking to Cristina.

"Does Connor Kenway work here?" he asked, and Connor got up, looking at her.

"Depends. Who's asking?" she asked.

"His father, if you must know. I was wondering if he was here because I got a call from his school," Cristina looked over his shoulder, "What are you looking at?" Haytham turned around, but saw nothing. Connor was crouched behind one of the display cases.

"No he doesn't work until four," she answered, "When he comes, I'll let him know you were here," she said, smiling. Haytham frowned, and left the store. Connor stood up.

"That was close," he said, walking over to her, "He sounded mad."

"A bit," Cristina said, and Connor grabbed another box, "You're not going to be able to avoid him when you get home," she said, pulling out the lottery tickets and organizing them. Connor sighed.

"I know. I just want to delay it as long as possible."


	5. The New Kid

_Hey so sorry I haven't been able to update until now. I was away for a few days and had really bad internet connection. Here is the next chapter!_

* * *

The next morning Connor woke up early. He rolled over and looked at the clock in his room. When he had come home from work, Haytham was nowhere to be seen, which was a good and bad thing, because it meant he could avoid whatever wrath awaited him. He sighed, and shut his eyes, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep.

CRASH!

Connor jumped up, and looked around. He slowly got out of bed, and opened his door. He heard movement in the kitchen, and someone mumbling to themselves. Haytham was an early riser, but he was not up at quarter after five in the morning.

Connor went down the stairs, and came around the corner. He saw the fridge door open, a glass on the floor and a puddle of milk around it. He looked in, and saw an older man at the sink, washing his hands off.

"Damn glasses," the man muttered, and turned around. He was caught off guard to see Connor looking at him, "Good morning! Sorry if I woke you. The damn glass slipped out of my hand," The man had blond hair with hints of grey, wrinkles around his blue eyes, but other than that Connor couldn't tell how old he was, "You must be Connor, right?" Connor nodded.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Dad what the hell are you doing here?!"

Connor turned around and saw Haytham in behind him, dressed in his housecoat, "What I can't drop in on my own son and pay him a visit?" the man asked, and Haytham pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Edward I have been over this before you have to call or send an email. You can't just show up!" Haytham exclaimed, and Connor looked back at Edward.

"You never told me my grandson was staying here," Edward shot back, crossing his arms. Haytham didn't say anything, but he was fuming. Haytham then turned his attention to Connor.

"You. We need to have a chat," he said, and Connor glanced over his shoulder at him, "You got suspended for the rest of the week for fighting? What were you thinking?"

"The asshole was badmouthing my mom," Connor said.

"Watch your language," Haytham said, "That is unacceptable. Fine, you're grounded. No going out, your friends can't come over unless they're dropping off homework and that's it," Connor turned around to face him.

"Wow good job Haytham. That's the first actual parenting you've done," Connor snapped, and stormed past him up the stairs. Edward flinched as they both heard the door slam. He looked over at his son, eyebrows raised.

"Don't say anything," Haytham snapped, and turned on his heel, "And clean up that damn milk," Edward chuckled, and grabbed some paper towel.

* * *

Desmond shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting outside in the rain. Altaïr had texted them all this morning, saying that he had the stomach flu and wouldn't be in school today. That normally meant taking the bus, which they all hated. Desmond looked around, and saw a car pulling up. The window rolled down, and he saw it was Malik.

"Wanna lift?" he asked, and Desmond climbed into the passenger side of the car.

"You never get the car," Desmond said, putting his hood down.

"Yeah. My parents let me take it cause they're off today and tonight. Dad said he might actually finish the bathroom floor," Malik said smiling.

"You getting Ezio?" Desmond asked, and Malik shook his head.

"Poor guy is sick too. There must be something going around the school," Malik answered, and pulled out of the driveway, "You been talking to Lucy?" Desmond groaned.

"Why does everyone keep bringing that up?" he demanded, glaring at his friend.

"Hey I'm only asking. There's a new guy in me and Altaïr's history class, and he's been hanging around where Lucy goes," Desmond didn't say anything, "His name is Warren Vidic, and he seemed to take a liking to Lucy."

"Like, he wants to date her?" Desmond asked, after getting over the shock. Malik nodded.

"He got in with de Sable and that crowd, and Altaïr overheard him talking about Lucy. Just thought I'd let you know," Malik said, turning down the road to their school.

"What about your secret crush?" Desmond asked, "Any progress?" Malik sighed, "What?"

"Maria," he answered, pulling into the parking lot, "They've been doing a lot more talking lately."

"You don't think they're going to get back together do you?" Desmond asked, and Malik shrugged.

"From what Leonardo told me he couldn't stand to be around her near the end, so I don't know why they're talking again."

"Maybe they just want to be friends," Desmond suggested, as they got out of the car. He looked around, and saw a guy waiting by a parking spot, "Who's that?"

"That's Warren," Malik answered, picking his books up, "And that's Rebecca's parking spot," Desmond stared at Warren, examining him. He was dressed sharply, with dress pants instead of jeans and a dress shirt. Sure enough, Rebecca's car pulled up, and her, Lucy, Shawn and Leonardo got out. Warren walked over to Lucy, and began chatting with her, "Rebecca and Shawn don't like him," He said, and walked towards the school. Desmond watched them for a while, "Des you're gonna be late!" Desmond snapped out of his thoughts, and followed Malik into the school.


	6. Bonding Time

Connor walked around the kitchen and opened the fridge. He looked in, and sighed, "There's nothing to eat," he mumbled, and closed it. He walked over to the cupboards, and opened them, "Does Haytham ever do groceries?"

"Only if he has to," Connor turned around, and saw Edward standing in the doorway. He crossed his arms, "I used to have to call him and remind him that he needs to buy groceries. He's so used to it just being him," Edward walked over to him, and placed a hand on Connor's shoulder, "Want to go out and grab a bite to eat? I know this quiet little diner that has the best burgers," Edward turned and walked towards the door.

"Haytham said I couldn't leave," Connor reminded him, and Edward looked over his shoulder.

"You're running errands with your dear grandpa," he said, smiling and a twinkle in his eye, "Come on," Connor shut the cupboard and followed Edward outside.

He saw a motorcycle parked in the driveway, "Is that yours?" Connor asked, amazed, and Edward nodded. He tossed a helmet to Connor, and fastened his own.

"You're never too old to have a motorcycle," Edward said, as he climbed on, and motioned for Connor to do the same. Connor got on, "Hold on. I tend not to drive the speed limit," he warned, and started the bike up. With a roar of the engine he tore out of the driveway, almost throwing Connor off the bike.

* * *

Edward turned down a narrow street, and Connor looked around, taking in the surroundings. Everything was so peaceful and calm compared to the hectic city where he and his friends normally went for lunch. Edward pulled up to a parking lot with only a few cars parked, and he stopped the bike. Connor got off and looked around, taking his helmet off as he did, "No offense Edward, but it doesn't look like much," Connor said, and Edward turned around, holding his helmet under his arm.

"Number one, you call me grandpa. None of this first name basis crap. Second, looks can be deceiving," he said with that twinkle in his eye. Connor followed him inside, and an older woman looked up.

"Well look what the cat dragged in," she said, walking over to him, "Edward Kenway. Longtime no see," she said, and Edward gave her a hug.

"It's good to see you Bernice," he said, and the woman, Bernice, motioned for them to follow her. She lead them to a small both, and they sat down. She pulled out her notepad.

"Anything to drink boys?' she asked, looking at them, "Edward, who's this adorable little boy you've brought with you?' she asked, looking at Connor.

"This is my grandson, Connor," Edward said, and Connor nodded at her. She raised her eyebrows at him, and Edward gave her a look, "I'll take a coke."

"Me too," Connor said, and she nodded, scurrying off, "How do you know her?" he asked, as Edward settled back into the booth.

"Believe it or not, me and Haytham used to come here when he was a boy. This was his favorite place," he said, looking around the room, "It sure brings back a lot of memories," Connor looked around, and saw a young girl behind the counter filling up drinks. She turned around, and Connor recognized her from his school, but he couldn't remember her name.

Bernice came back with their drinks, and proceeded to take their orders. Edward ordered for the both of them, getting them each the famous diner burger, which Connor was assured was to die for. After Bernice had left, Connor pulled out his phone and saw a text from Altaïr, 'Who you talking to?" Edward asked, taking a sip from his coke.

"Just my friend Altaïr. He's home sick, and by the sounds of it, it's a nasty flu," Connor answered, and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked up and saw the girl looking at him. Edward glanced over his shoulder.

"She's pretty," he said, "Ask her out."

"What? No I can't do that," Connor said, "I'm too shy for that type of stuff. Besides, she probably doesn't even know who I am," She looked down and continued wiping the counter. Bernice brought over their food, and placed the giant plates down in front of them, "Whoa that's a big burger," Connor said, looking at it. Edward smiled, and pushed his sleeves up, getting ready to tackle it. Connor put down his phone, and picked up the burger, taking a bite. Bernice watched them from the counter.

"Aveline sweetie, you can take off now," she said, turning to the girl behind the counter. She nodded, and took off her apron, placing it on the counter. She left out the back door, and walked over to the bus stop, waiting for the bus.

* * *

Edward and Connor left the small diner, walking back over to Edward's bike, "What is he doing here?" Connor asked, seeing Haytham's car. Edward looked at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.

"Don't worry about it," he said, and Haytham got out of the car.

"Where have you been?" he asked, looking at Connor, "I told you not to leave the house because you are grounded."

"Son you have no food at the house," Edward answered before Connor could say anything, "We just went for a bite to eat," he said.

"You went behind my back? You knew he was grounded dad," Haytham snapped, and turned his attention back to Connor, "Get in the car Connor we're going home," Connor didn't move or say anything, "Connor."

"I can take him back Haytham don't worry about it," Edward said.

"On your death machine? I think..."

"I'd rather go back with grandpa," Connor cut in, and Haytham looked at him, not sure what to say. He looked at Edward, and said nothing, just climbing back into his car. Connor sighed, and grabbed the helmet. Edward looked at him, not sure what to say.

"Give him some time Connor. He'll come around," he said, as he climbed back on his bike, fastening his helmet. Connor stayed silent the rest of the way home, staring at the pavement.

* * *

_I am so sorry I haven't updated I've been busy with school, even though the year just started. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that chapter and thanks to PeaceSigns and Hearts oOo for the idea of adding Aveline to the story._


	7. A Few Issues

Altaïr heard his phone go off, and he rolled over, one eye shut. He reached for it on his nightstand, and grabbed it. He squinted at the screen and saw it was Malik. He hit talk, "Hello?" he mumbled.

_"Wow you don't sound good at all,"_ Malik said, and Altaïr covered the mouth piece as he coughed, _"You feeling any better?"_

"Not really," Altaïr answered, and sat up, grabbing his water bottle, "I just sleep and cough. It sucks. How much am I falling behind by for history?"

_"We have a test in two weeks," _Altaïr groaned, and slumped back against his pillows.

"Mualim must really hate me," he mumbled.

_"I'm sure he doesn't. I have your homework so I'll pop by after school and drop it off."_

"Thanks Malik. You're the best," he said, and hung up. Altaïr shut his eyes.

He and Malik had been friends for as long as he could remember. They had met when they were four and had been inseparable since. Malik's brother tagged along every now and again, but before they had met the others it had been just them.

Until Altaïr met Maria, and everything changed.

Maria didn't like Malik at all. She was jealous of him. Altaïr didn't know why. He and Malik were just really good friends, but maybe that was what bothered her. He didn't pay as much attention to her when Malik was around. He had told them a lie about why he and Maria broke up. It was actually because she was going to make him choose between her and Malik.

_"So...I'm moving back to England for school with my family," Maria said. Altaïr and Maria were lying on his bed. Maria was resting her head against his chest while Altaïr stroked her hair._

_"Wow that's really far away," he said, and she pushed herself up onto her elbows._

_"Why don't you come with me? You can finish high school there, we can get an apartment when you got to college, it will be great!" she said with a smile. Altaïr chuckled._

_"There's this issue called money. I can't afford to go to England," he sighed._

_"I can ask my parents to help pay for it," she suggested, "I really want you to come. I don't want to be away from you for that long," she said, pouting. Altaïr looked up at her._

_"I can't leave my friends behind," he said, sitting up._

_"You'll make new ones. And then we can actually spend some alone time together," she said with a smirk. Altaïr frowned._

_"What do you mean by that?" he asked._

_"Isn't it obvious? Malik," she answered, and Altaïr sighed, "You know it's true. Every time I want to see you you're always with him. He's getting in the way of our relationship."_

_"Maria Malik is my best and closet friend. We tell each other everything. I can't just up and leave without telling him. Especially going into our last year of high school. It wouldn't be fair."_

_"What about me?" she asked, "It's not fair to me that my boyfriend won't be around."  
_

_"Are we seriously going to have this discussion again?" Altaïr asked, obviously annoyed. He got up, and walked over to his dresser, and pulled out a shirt._

_"Where are you going?" she asked. Altaïr pulled the shirt over his head, and turned around._

_"To meet up with my friends. We have plans tonight," he answered._

_"Is Malik going to be there?" Maria asked with bitterness in her voice. Altaïr looked at her._

_"I'm not having this discussion with you again," he said, and put on his shoes. He grabbed his phone and car keys, then headed towards the door._

_"You walk out that door, we're done," Maria snapped, and Altaïr turned around._

_"Are you seriously making me choose between my best friend and you?" he asked, and she nodded, "You can show yourself out then. We're done."_

_"You're joking," she said, and he shook his head, "You're choosing him over me?! Why?!"  
_

_"Malik would never make me choose between having a girlfriend or having a best friend," Altaïr answered, and left his room, leaving Maria sitting with her mouth hung open._

Altaïr sighed. It didn't help that she had started talking to him again.

He lid on his back, staring at the ceiling. Lately, he noticed that Malik was acting different around him, but he couldn't figure out why. It felt like he was hiding something. Altaïr rolled over on his side, and shut his eyes.

He was too sick to be thinking about these kind of things. He needed his rest.

* * *

Ezio heard voices downstairs, and got up from his desk. He walked to the top of the staircase.

"It's just a surprise! We weren't expecting you home until Thanksgiving!"

"How could I not visit my family before then? That is too long of a gap!" Ezio came down the stairs, and saw his mother talking to a familiar person.

"Frederico!" he exclaimed, and his older brother turned around.

"Hey baby brother!" Ezio walked into the kitchen and the two hugged each other, "Surprised to see me?"

"I am but happy! How's the college life?" Ezio asked, as his mother handed him a glass of milk.

"College is good. Enjoying all my classes and the activities they have on campus," Frederico answered, "I miss home though. The food isn't as good as yours mother," he said, nudging her. She smiled, and checked her watch.

"I have to go pick up your sister from dance. I won't tell her you're here," she said, and grabbed her purse, "Could you two start dinner? The chicken is in the fridge and there's vegetables you can use in sauce for pasta. I'll be back in about a half hour," She kissed Frederico on the cheek, "It's good to have you home son," she said, and left the kitchen. Ezio looked at his brother.

"Alright, what's the real reason for being him?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Nothing I just missed my family," Frederico answered, "Why do you ask?" Ezio raised his eyebrows, and Frederico sighed, "Alright, you caught me. I may or may not be failing out."

"You? Failing? But...you always got the highest grades in school!"

"I may be doing a bit too much partying," he admitted, "I'm considering dropping out and going to a community college instead. That's the real reason I'm home. I need to discuss it with mother and father," Ezio walked over to the fridge and pulled out stuff for supper, "How mad do you think they'll be?"

"I don't think they'll be too mad. It's not like you've dropped out already," Ezio said, and Frederico was quiet, "Don't tell me."

"The college I was looking at is here. So I would be potentially moving back home," Frederico said, "Don't tell mother or father or even Uncle Mario if he asks. I don't want them to know just yet," Ezio turned around and sighed.

"Fine. I won't tell them."


	8. Bros Before Hoes

Connor stared at his homework, the math questions starting mush into a giant one. He pushed the paper away, and leaned back, thinking about everything that had happened since the start of the school year. It was almost the end of September, which meant that the weather would get colder and school would become even worse. He wondered how Altaïr and Malik felt about being in their last year of high school. Connor picked up his pen, and tapped it on the desk. He wondered if Malik would ever admit his feelings to Altaïr. He didn't have much time left.

Connor got up and walked around his room, staring at the ceiling. And Desmond needed to do the same with Lucy. From whet Rebecca told him, there's a new guy in town who is going to be competition. Desmond needed to get his act together quickly, or the new guy would get Lucy, then Desmond would sulk for the rest of his life. Connor chuckled, then sighed.

High school sucked.

They had to take classes with the people they hate the most, some of the teachers were mean and the fact they had to get up super early didn't help either. Connor flopped down on his bed, and looked at the ceiling.

He wondered if this is what college was like.

Not like he would ever go to college. No, he wanted to join the military and get out this town as quickly as possible. Plus, he could easily get away from Haytham too.

Haytham hadn't bothered him much during the day, except to ask him to do a few chores, but that was it. Edward wasn't around much either. He wondered what had happened between Haytham and Edward. It seemed like they couldn't stand being around each other. Connor didn't understand. He loved Edward. He sat up.

Maybe he should go live with Edward!

That would be awesome! His grandpa was a total bad ass. He had a motorcycle and probably a lot of girlfriends. Connor chuckled. Edward and Haytham were the complete opposite.

He heard someone downstairs, and walked over to his door, pushing his ear against.

"No no. I can't come in to work this weekend. I have plans."

That sounded like Haytham. Connor frowned.

"I promise you I will have the document done by Monday. I would come in, but there's...an event that I must attend Saturday. Alright, bye," Connor was a bit surprised. Haytham loved his work, so it was strange that he would turned down going in on the weekend.

"You're not going into work tomorrow?" Edward asked.

"No. I...I thought the three of us could spend some time together," Connor raised his eyebrows, and he was pretty sure Edward had done the same, "What is that look for? Wipe that stupid smile of your face."

"Come here son!" Edward exclaimed, and Connor was pretty sure he had pulled Haytham into one of his giant bear hugs, "I'm proud of you. I never said that enough when you were young, but I am. Now, what are the big plans for tomorrow?"

"It's a surprise. Besides, Connor might be listening to us."

"That boy is smart."

Connor shut his door, and walked back over to his desk. Haytham actually wanted to spend time with him? This was weird.

* * *

Desmond stared at the English book, then tossed it down on his bed, "Screw English," he said, and got up, stretching. He walked out into the living room, and sat down on the couch, flicking through the channels.

"Are you done your homework?" Bill asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah I am," Desmond answered, "Hey dad the game is on," Bill came out of the kitchen, and sat down next to his son.

"Alright. I feel lucky this time Des," he said, and Desmond laughed.

"You always feel lucky," he felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out of his pocket.

"Is that Lucy?" his dad asked, and Desmond rolled his eyes.

"Maybe," he said, and opened the message. It was from Connor.

**Is it weird that my dad wants to spend time with me?**

Desmond frowned, and texted back.

**It kinda does. Doesn't he normally go into work on the weekend?**

He looked up, waiting for Connor's response, "So did Lucy ask you out?" his dad asked.

"Dad. No, it's Connor. He said that his dad wants to spend quality time with him."

"And that's weird?"

"His dad is normally at work all the time and they barely ever see each other," Desmond explained, and Bill shrugged.

"Things change. Maybe he realized that he needs to spend more time with his son. Didn't you say his grandpa was visiting as well?" Desmond nodded, "Full house huh? That's probably interesting."

"Yeah. Connor said they're complete opposite of each other. It's funny," His phone went off and this time it was Lucy.

**Hey what are you doing tomorrow night? :)**

Desmond answered her back.

**Uh nothing. Why?**

He put his phone down and looked back up at the tv, then felt his phone go off.

**Warren's throwing a party tomorrow, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me.**

Desmond made a face, and his dad saw it, "What?" he asked.

"Lucy asked me to go to a party with her, but it's at Vidic's," he mumbled.

"Who's Vidic?"

"A new guy whose all over her. He seems creepy," Bill chuckled.

"Ah young love. I remember what it was like," Desmond rolled his eyes, "Hey now I'm not that old. What are you going to say?"

"I'm going to say I'll think about it, and mention it to the guys," Desmond answered. Bill smiled.

"Bros before hoes."

"Dad you did not just say that..."


	9. Silly Desmond

"IT'S THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK! IT'S FRIDAY!"

Ezio ran down the stairs and over to the island in the kitchen, "Thank goodness this has been the longest week by far," he said, as his mother placed a plate of pancakes in front of him, smiling.

"Somebody's in a good mood," she said, as Claudia and Petruccio came down the stairs, not as excited as Ezio. Ezio nodded, as he took a drink from his juice.

"Got some awesome plans this weekend," he said.

"Don't forget about your homework," his mother reminded him, and Ezio nodded.

"Of course! I never do," he said with a smile and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"You're always on the phone Sunday night with Desmond or Connor, asking them about your math assignments," she pointed out, and Ezio glared at her.

"Not all the time. Only a few," he mumbled into his pancakes, and his mother chuckled. Giovanni came down the stairs, and kissed his wife on the cheek. He looked around at his family.

"Everyone seems to be in a better mood," he commented, and Ezio nodded.

"I'm just glad this week is over. It's been one heck of a week," he said, and his phone went off, "Gotta go. Altaïr's here," He got up, kissed his mom on the cheek and grabbed his backpack, "See you guys later!" he yelled as he opened the door, and ran down the path.

Ezio opened the door, and hopped in the back seat, "How ya feeling Altaïr?" he asked, smiling. Altaïr and Malik both turned around, looking at him.

"Are you high?" Malik asked.

"No it's Friday! Aren't you two excited for Friday?" Ezio asked, and Altaïr and Malik glanced at each other.

"Ezio I'm only just getting over this cold. Your excitement level is too high for me," Altaïr said, and began driving to Desmond's house.

"Did you hear that the new guy is throwing a party tomorrow night?" Malik asked.

"Who Vidic? Is he trying to impress everyone?" Ezio asked, and Malik shrugged.

"Desmond said Lucy is going. He might end up going," Malik answered.

"I still don't understand why he hasn't asked her out yet. Is he afraid she'll say no?" Altaïr asked, and Ezio raised his eyebrows, looking at Malik. Malik looked over his shoulder and saw him. Ezio gave him the look.

"Maybe he's afraid she doesn't feel the same way. That she only sees him as a friend," Malik suggested.

"That could be true but if he waits too long he'll miss his chance, and then she'll end up with Vidic. We can't let that happen. The guy gives me the creeps," Altaïr said, as they pulled up to Desmond's house, "On the bright side Connor will be back to school Monday."

"He said his dad actually wants to spend time with him," Malik said, as Desmond climbed into the car.

"Yeah that's true," Desmond said, as Altaïr pulled out of the driveway and towards school, "He's not sure how to respond to it, especially since his grandfather who he never met is there too."

"One big happy family eh?" Ezio said, as they pulled up to the school parking lot. Altaïr shut off his car, and everyone got out.

"See you guys at lunch," he said, and headed towards his first class. Malik grabbed his backpack, and saw everyone looking at him.

"What?" he asked, and Ezio smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"You'll learn Malik you'll learn," he said, and Malik rolled his eyes.

* * *

Ezio walked into his Italian class, and took a seat next to Leonardo, "This class always drags on," he said, and Leonardo nodded.

"I don't know why we decided to take this class," he said, leaning back in his chair, "Are we ever going to use it?" Ezio shrugged.

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asked.

"Not much. Homework, some painting maybe," Leonardo answered.

"You wanna come to a movie tonight? The new Underworld one just came out," Ezio said, and Leonardo frowned.

"I dunno. The last one I saw wasn't that good."

"This one is supposed to be awesome. Don't let the last one ruin it for you. Give it another try," Ezio suggested.

"Alright, you convinced me. I'll go," Leonardo said, and Ezio smiled.

"Sweet."

* * *

Desmond walked into his English class, and saw that the only open seat was next to Warren. He mentally groaned, but walked over and sat down. Vidic smiled at him, and Desmond gave him a curt nod back. He pulled out his books, and a pen. The teacher began speaking, and for once in his life, Desmond actually paid attention in English. He didn't want to give Warren the chance to talk to him about Lucy, because he was sure he would punch him in the face.

After class was finished, Desmond gathered up his books and put them in his bag, "Um, are you Desmond?" Desmond turned around and saw Warren facing him.

"Yeah," he answered, putting his backpack on.

"You're Lucy's friend right?" Desmond nodded, "So, I don't know if she told you, but I'm having a party Saturday night. You know, just a way to meet some more people. So, she said that I should invite you, so why don't you stop by for a bit?"

"Maybe. I have a lot of work to do, but I'll think about it," Desmond answered, and Warren handed him a piece of paper.

"Here's the address. In case you change your mind," he said, and left the class. Dessmond looked at it, and shoved it into his pocket.

"She said I should invite you," he mocked, unlocking his locker, "Pfft, like I'll go anyways," he mumbled, swapping his books out.

"Go where?"

"Lucy!" Desmond yelled, jumping, "Hey I didn't see you there!" Lucy smiled.

"Go where? You were talking to yourself," she said.

"Oh uh, just some...thing...over the weekend. Not sure if I'm going to go," he answered, and immediately felt like an idiot.

"Hey have you thought about going to Warren's party?" she asked.

"Uh, I dunno. I have a lot of work to do, and I was planning on hanging with the guys," he said, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

"You can bring them if you want. The more the merrier," she said with a smile.

"I'll think about," Desmond said, and she smiled, then walked away. Desmond turned to his locker, and leaned his head against it, groaning.


End file.
